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I have been promoting the use of magnifying glasses in classrooms for some time. I want the curious learners in our classrooms to have the opportunity to discover and celebrate natural wonder. I recall how much fun I had as a small boy with my own magnifying glass. –Seeing snails and slugs up close, or watching ants and noticing their fine feelers, or exploring nature’s wonders in the fine lines and patterns on leaves. There was for me, a fascination observing the world through this magic portal; this round window.

I want the natural curiosity children possess further stimulated by the experience of seeing small wonders up close and personal. I hope a magnifying glass stimulates their imagination and creativity. I hope they respond with wonderment and awe. A magnifying glass is not a piece of cutting edge techno wizardry, but it is a powerful tool for determining answers to questions that spring from every day experiences. Seymour Simon said ‘ I’m more interested in arousing enthusias…

I am increasingly aware there exists in some classrooms, a confusion over exactly what is meant by the term, show, don't tell, and how to present it to student writers... We often
refer to the Show, Don't Tell craft strategy when we read students’ writing and notice they've told
us that they’ve had a good time, or that the ice-cream they ate was good, but
don’t show us by giving a specific example. To help students see how other
writers show and not tell, choose parts from texts presenting clear examples of ‘show
and not tell.’ One of the
most common traps writers fall into is to try and tell things in their writing
instead of showing them. They say things like, “The
little boy was angry” This type
of writing tells the reader something, but it doesn’t show. The words used
don’t create a clear enough picture in the mind of the reader. The immediate question is, 'What did the boy do to indicate he was angry. Anger can show up in many ways. 'How did the boy display ange…

A Tuesday poem. Inspired by the feint winter sunlight over the bay as I turned towards home along the esplanade this afternoon. I dream of summer, seemingly a world away at present as Australia endures a wet, windy winter.Surrender to the Sea The
beach is not a place to work hard Too
hot and damp And
soft Never
a place to conjure up fanciful dreams It
rises against ideas Washing
away thoughts and grand plans Rhythms
of the sea capture our attention Waves Slap
the shoreline endlessly Wind Dashes
through the trees beyond the scrubby headland The
slow flapping of a seagull skimming the surface of the bay steals our gaze Under
the spell of beach scenes We
relax We
stretch Our
thoughts flatten Leaving
our minds bare and open Like
the shoreline at sunrise The
busy rush of the day is erased Just
as the tide washes away yesterday’s sandcastles The
ragged edges of our minds are gently smoothed like sea glass

A frequent lament among
teachers of writing is the resistance encountered among some students when it comes
to revision. However, such resistance tends to evaporate when certain elements
become essential to the writing workshop.Topic
Choice/Genre Choice When young
writers are writing what they really want to write about, the words tend to
flow more easily and as a consequence, the writer displays a greater commitment
to the challenge of ‘getting it right.’ From this position, the writer often
approaches revision with increased endeavour. Choice is central to success in
writing. It increases ownership and assists the writer to develop a sense of
voice. If a student feels a greater sense of self in the writing, they take
greater care with the words and the message. They are therefore more likely to
embrace revision. Authentic
Purpose There needs
to be a real purpose for the writing that is undertaken. If writing
is viewed as ‘something we do at school.’ The likelihood of revision being
embr…

People who write get to live life twice - in the moment and in retrospect. That's what sets writers apart. I rarely go anywhere, or do anything without the shadow of my writing self being part of the adventure. Every experience provides opportunities to harvest writing ideas. It is a lens through which to view the limitless possibilities of the moment. I look forward to your responses,feedback and ideas.